Dalania
''This page details the Arsinoisan nation of Dalania - for the Barvos nation, see the Dalanian Enclave '' Formed from the ashes of a broken Imperial State, the creation of Dalania ended a civil war whose origins had been recorded as far back as the foundation of a former empire. As soon as the old empire collapsed, the region split, with six of the empire's vassals claiming sovereignty. The ensuing civil war was only ended with the outside intervention of a diplomatic military force (lead by a Vexus Davion), who overthrew the warring lords over a period of several years. In the following years, many expected the civil war to simply continue - with uprisings almost certain if the new ruler lead by force. Needing to reduce the risk of such a war, Davion formed a 'Proficient Council', a technocratic administration where issues would be delegated to committees of expert in relevant fields, with a member of the Davion lineage serving as the 'Overseer' of the council. Calrydian Civil War / Dalanian War of Formation Around 500 years ago, the region known as Dalania was the heart of a powerful empire - the Calrydian Empire - which had been a unification of six warring factions, uniting under a common banner and a succession of kings. However, when the last of them died - heirless and with no surviving family - the Empire fell apart, with each of the faction leaders (who were each granted positions within the king's court) claiming that they should be the true king. The six fought, brutal battles leaving the once prosperous land in a bloody, destitute stalemate. This war-torn land became a very prosperous place for those willing to risk their lives in war, attracting a great many soldiers and mercenaries from overseas. Among them, came a young man - a former squire and blacksmith apprentice - by the name of Vexus Davion. Like so many others before him, Vexus initially worked as a bounty hunter - mostly fighting the various brigands that terrorised the towns and roads between - before then turning his growing warband towards mercenary work. Vexus enjoyed immense success as a mercenary, quickly becoming both rich and well renowned across what is now Dalania. Eventually, he was asked to join one of the factions as a general. As both Vexus' wealth and warband increased, many expected the money he made in tithes from his fifes would simply be spent on luxuries for himself and his closest men; he earned the ire of other generals for leaving feasts early to instead visit the taverns and barracks of a city, often leaving with lighter pockets and celebratory cheers at his back. Over time, Vexus was forced to change allegiance from lord to lord - often being accused of treachery when he refused to raid villages for supposedly vital supplies, as well as whatever gold could be found. Eventually, he came to the belief that the none of the lords would be able to lead without using an iron fist, and made the brave (or foolish) decision to form a separate faction, with the hope of leading the nation to a prosperous, peaceful future. Locations As a whole, Dalania has a varied landscape, ranging from icy wastes to scorching deserts. The capital city of Dalania, Sarluka was built to commemorate the unification of Dalania, and serve a centralised political hub, with easy access to the entirety of the region. It also serves as Dalania's military centre, with huge fortification, the main military bases in Dalania, and is rumoured to have an underground superstructure, with enough space to house the majority of the population, and hydroponics facilities to feed 10 million people indefinitely (however, underground observation data is classified for a 10 mile radius around every city, so this has yet to be confirmed). The economic heart of Dalania is the nation's second city (and capital of the previous empire), Calrydia, on the Western coast. The majority of produce passes through Sarluka, heading to Calryida for export, and almost all imported goods come through Calrydia, on the way to Sarluka for distribution and further transport. Almost all cities in Dalania are heavily fortified, and the 'old town' areas of the cities date back to the original empire, but the vast majority of structures are frequently rebuilt using more modern materials and techniques. Not far from Sarluka lies The Lake of Fallen Angels, a UN protected memorial site to world leaders who have died. Current Regime The current technocratic system has been in place for as long as Dalania has existed, and the current Overseer is Ethorne Davion, the third of four children of the former Overseer Arkos Davion. Ethorne is five years into his leadership, having taken over following his father's customary abdication at the age of 70. International Relations Dalania employs a defensive position regarding foreign policies, in that most consider that the first line in battle to be the negotiation table. As such, Dalania is a frequently active member of the UN, and was represented on the 3rd United Nations Executive Council, by Scientist Peter Higgs. Military The military system in Dalania is built upon a number of ethics, tenets which have been followed for as long as anyone can remember, with some believing they may date back as far as Vexus Davion himself. One of these customary ethics is that a foreign assualt should occur only in the event of an attack by an opposing force, and should diplomacy fail, the military is cleared to initiate an 'annihilation procedure' of catastrophic attacks aimed solely towards enemy military installations, with care taken to minimise civilian casualties. Once the enemy has suffered a round of these attacks, Dalania will attempt diplomacy a second time. Should they refuse or attempt to counterattack, then the military will mobilise a second time. If diplomacy is refused three times, then teams are ordered to 'remove' the enemy leader. The second is that Dalania will never send 'boots on ground' troops into an attack, as this is frequently seen as a waste of human lives. The more common choice for any conflict is either Aircraft, Combat Drones or small Covert Operations Squads. The final tenet (which does date back to the siege of Calrydia, the final act of the war that preceded the formation of Dalania) is that the number of soldiers matters less than the quality of both their equipment and their training. As such, Dalanian Weapon Scientists are always reconsidering the weapons and equipment being used, in order to outgun even the largest of opposing forces. This ideal is never taken as a belief that a Dalanian squad can always win any battle - they frequently avoid fighting where possible. Dalanian fighting forces consist primarily of Combat Drones, which can be deployed from fortifications, Aircraft or indeed Aircraft Carriers, along with Aircraft and the Covert Operations strike teams. When used effectively, this small force can be quite lethal. Culture The vast majority of Dalania consider the ultimate goal to be selection to the Proficient Council, and as such, around 80% of the population have at least a degree within their field, with the majority having at least a phd. To Dalianians, there is always opportunity to improve one's intelligence and abilities in the fields they choose. As for the Davion line, the successor to an Overseer is the child of his which he believes to be the best choice for the role, as such, the children of an Overseer will often spend the years until their predecessor's retirement focusing on intelligence and skills on a variety of areas, only having a family once the next overseer is chosen. The new Overseer usually starts a family as soon as they become Overseer, to ensure their children have the most time to advance in various fields. If a Davion dies before they can select a successor, it falls to the Proficient Council to make the choice. As a nation where everyone seeks to be the best in their field, frequent cultural shifts are made in music, art and architecture. However, the 'old town' areas of cities provide wonderful examples of the traditional architecture of the region. Category:Countries